View synonyms for

scour

[ skouuhr, skou-er ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

to remove dirt, grease, etc., from or to cleanse or polish by hard rubbing, as with a rough or abrasive material:
to scour pots and pans.
Synonyms: , , ,
to remove (dirt, grease, etc.) from something by hard rubbing:
to scour grease from pots and pans.
to clear or dig out (a channel, drain, etc.) as by the force of water, by removing debris, etc.
to purge thoroughly, as an animal.
to clear or rid of what is undesirable:
to scour the nation of spies.
to remove by or as if by cleansing; get rid of.
to clean or rid of debris, impurities, etc., by or as if by washing, as cotton or wool.
Metallurgy. (of the contents of a blast furnace) to rub against and corrode (the refractory lining).

verb (used without object)

to rub a surface in order to cleanse or polish it.
to remove dirt, grease, etc.
to become clean and shiny.
to be capable of being cleaned by rubbing:
The roasting pan scours easily.
(of a plow, cultivator, etc.) to pass through the ground without soil clinging to the blade.
(of a plow, shovel, etc.) to become polished from use.

noun

the act of scouring.
the place scoured.
an apparatus or material used in scouring; scourer:
Sand is a good scour.
the erosive force of moving water, as in a river or sea.
Usually scours. (used with a singular or plural verb) Veterinary Pathology. diarrhea in horses and cattle caused by intestinal infection.

scour

[ skouuhr, skou-er ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

to range over, as in a search:
They scoured the countryside for the lost child.
Synonyms: , , ,
to run or pass quickly over or along.

verb (used without object)

to range about, as in search of something.
to move rapidly or energetically.

scour

/ ��첹ʊə /

verb

to clean or polish (a surface) by washing and rubbing, as with an abrasive cloth
to remove dirt from or have the dirt removed from
tr to clear (a channel) by the force of water; flush
tr to remove by or as if by rubbing
intr (of livestock, esp cattle) to have diarrhoea
tr to cause (livestock) to purge their bowels
tr to wash (wool) to remove wax, suint, and other impurities

noun

the act of scouring
the place scoured, esp by running water
something that scours, such as a cleansing agent
often plural prolonged diarrhoea in livestock, esp cattle

scour

/ ��첹ʊə /

verb

to range over (territory), as in making a search
to move swiftly or energetically over (territory)

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Derived Forms

ˈ��ǳܰ��, noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of scour¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English verb scoure(n), score(n), from Middle Dutch ��(��)ū��, Middle Low German ��ü��, from Old French escurer (compare Medieval Latin ��ū�� ), from Latin ��泦ū�� “to take good care of,” equivalent to ex- ¹ + ��ū�� “to care for”; cure ( def )

Origin of scour²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English scouren, scure; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old Norse ��ū�� “storm, shower, shower of missles”; perhaps from Old French ecsour(r)e, escorir “to rush out or forth,” from Latin excurrere

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Word History and Origins

Origin of scour¹

C13: via Middle Low German ��ū��, from Old French escurer, from Late Latin ��泦ū�� to cleanse, from ��ū��; see cure

Origin of scour²

C14: from Old Norse ��ū��

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

For weeks, they’ve been scouring their homes and cracking open their safes to retrieve vintage necklaces, family heirlooms and other expensive pieces containing the precious metal that can be melted for cash.

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That night she had seen people talking on Twitter about seeing Odom, then scoured the #LamarOdom hashtag to get clues to his location.

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He has scoured the global legal literature for examples that could serve as precedents for applying legislation to dark skies.

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The Los Angeles Police Department, responding to a request for assistance by the California Highway Patrol, was scouring the surrounding neighborhood of Eagle Rock for the suspects.

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Tired of scouring Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for a decently used refrigerator because your new apartment didn’t come with one?

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Related Words

scoundrelly scoured

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